Japanese Collection Overview

As of July 2018, the Japanese collection at the C. V. Starr East Asian Library comprises over 430,000 volumes and over 1,000 current periodical titles. It supports the teaching and research needs of the Berkeley campus in all areas of Japanese studies across the social sciences and humanities. The collection is especially strong in Japanese history, art history, Buddhism, literature, anthropology, sociology, and political science. The materials written in Western languages on Japan are located in the Gardner (Main) Stacks of the Doe Library and other subject libraries on campus.

Murakami Collection (8,850 volumes): Originally collected by Murakami Hamakichi (b.1885), author of Meiji bungaku shomoku 『明治文学書目』, and intended to serve as a primary source for the study of the Meiji era. Most works date to the Meiji era. Belles letters, including popular fiction and translations of western works, are particularly well represented; other subject areas include political economy, social criticism, history, philosophy, and religion. The Library also has microfiche reproduction of selected materials from this collection, which was published as a part of Meijiki kankōbutsu shūsei 『明治期刊行物集成』. Use Meijiki kankōbutsu shūsei bungaku gengo sōmokuroku『明治期刊行物集成文学言語総目錄』(Ref. PL726.6A12 M46 1996) for paging individual materials.

Mitsui Tinies Collection (574 titles, in many more volumes): Nearly all date to the Meiji era; average volume height is approximately twelve centimeters. Subject matter includes belles letters and classics, history, and travel. Accessible through an in-house card file.

Japanese Historical Maps Collection (ca. 2,300 woodblock, copperplate, manuscript, and other maps): Dating from the seventeenth through the twentieth centuries. Originally collected by Mitsui Takakata 三井高堅 (1867-1945), the collection contains over two hundred maps of Edo and an impressive number of maps of the Kyoto area. A portion of the collection has been digitized by David Rumsey and Cartography Associates and is available for viewing online at the Japanese Historical Maps website and at the UC Berkeley Library website.

Sugoroku Collection (ca. 150 sugoroku sheets): Some with the original wrappers in which they were marked, collected by Mitsui Takakata 三井高堅 (1867-1945). Most date to the Meiji era and are secular in content. The collection has been digitized by the Art Research Center, Ritsumeikan University and is available for viewing online from here or through David Rumsey's website.

Copperplate Print Collection ＝ Dōbanga korekushon銅版画コレクション (ca. 2,400 images): Originally collected by Mitsui Takakata 三井高堅 (1867-1945). The collection has been digitized by the Art Research Center, Ritsumeikan University and is available for viewing online from here (the metadata is currently being added). The collection is organized in the following manner (please specify the series and box number for viewing request):

Single-sheet Print Collection ＝ Ichimaizuri korekushon一枚摺コレクション(688 items with over 1,000 images): Mostly, originally collected by Mitsui Takakata 三井高堅 (1867-1945). The collection is organized in the following manner (please specify the series, box, folder, item, and the original Mitsui number for viewing request):

Kasutori Magazine Collection = Kasutori zasshi korekushon カストリ雑誌コレクション (269 titles in 929 issues): A collection of popular magazine issues published in the immediate post-war Japan between 1945 and 1954. Many of these publications remain scarce even in Japan. As the acquisition of this collection was partially funded by the Multi-Volume Sets Project managed by the North American Coordinating Council on Japanese Library Resources, these materials are available nationally through inter-library loan. For individual titles and issues contained in this collection, please consult the following list (please indicate the part, volume, and issue no. in the first three columns for making ILL requests):

Yahiro Fuji Screenplay Collection = Yahiro Fuji kyūzō eiga kyakuhon kikaku korekushon八尋不二旧蔵映画脚本・企画コレクション (533 titles): A collection of unpublished screenplays and related works originally held by the well-known screenwriter Yahiro Fuji (1904-1986) who was active in the early Showa period (1925-1989) through the 1960s, especially in the genre of jidaigeki or period drama. The collection includes over 140 screenplays written by Yahiro between 1932 and 1962, with some hand-written, as well as those by many other screenwriters. It also includes over 70 plot proposals considered at the Daiei Kyoto Studio between 1950s through early 1960s. Several screenplays from the pre-war period bear the seals of Naimushō or the Home Ministry, indicating its censorship.

New Acquisitions in Japanese Studies

With OskiCat, new acquisitions lists are updated daily. The 15 most recent items in Japanese Studies are listed below while the full list of materials cataloged in the past 60 days can be viewed at the following site.